"I wanted to put a smile on people’s faces … something unique,” 12-year-old Zach Diamond says after performing as Morty the Clown for a 5-year-old’s birthday party in Garner.

Zach went to a weeklong clown camp over the summer and decided to use his clowning skills to do something for the community as he prepares for his bar mitzvah in January.

“When you become a son of the commandments — that’s what a bar mitzvah is — you’re supposed to do something for the community to show that you’re responsible for yourself now and for others,” Zach says, “so most people would collect money for the SPCA or other stuff, other organizations … UNICEF or other stuff like that, but I didn’t want to do that.”

Instead he performs for underprivileged kids through Step-Up Ministries. “I love working with little kids,” Zach says. “I always have. It’s just really fun to be able to know that you can do this and stuff.